Panic ripples through the ranks. Some soldiers glance toward the massive, sealed gateway at the back of the chamber—still closed. No obvious way out. No teleport circles. No escape.
But Alix doesn't flinch.
He reaches into his cloak, fingers brushing across something cool and ancient.
Then, he pulls it out.
A talisman—simple in shape, but etched with delicate, pulsing runes. It glows faintly in his palm, the light steady even as the world around them trembles.
No one speaks.
They all stare.
"What… is that?" Brakar mutters, eyes narrowing.
Alix lifts it so they can see. "This," he says calmly, "is our way out."
The air stills. Even the debris seems to hang suspended for a moment.
"It's a teleport talisman," Alix explains, voice carrying clear across the chamber. "One-time use. Designed to carry a group out of sealed realms—if the lock isn't set by a higher being or something worse."
Everyone turns toward Alix, stunned.
